Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto has dropped out of national politics, at least for now, to concentrate on his plan to integrate Osaka city and prefecture and to cease being an obstacle, he says, to a grand realignment of like-minded opposition politicians. “What’s necessary are ...

In an election that produced no surprises, it’s little wonder the biggest political names in the six prefectures that make up the Kinki region (Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Nara and Wakayama) were all returned to the Diet, though one or two had a close ...

“Freedom of assembly and association as well as speech, press and all other forms of expression are guaranteed.” — Article 21, Constitution of Japan “I say, break the law. Let your life be a counter friction to stop the machine.” — Henry David Thoreau, ...

As the Dec. 14 Lower House election demonstrated, media analysis of political campaigning typically focuses on personalities and parties. In recent years, official manifests serve as TV talking points as pundits — be they boorish young comedians or serious, sober-minded, gray-haired fellows — debate ...

For Ishin no To (Japan Innovation Party), the Lower House election was a mixture of good and bad as the party held onto virtually all of its seats , courtesy of the proportional representation system, amid predictions it would lose big.

A last-minute appeal by Ishin no To (Japan Innovation Party) for proportional representation votes appears to have prevented larger-than-predicted losses in Sunday’s Lower House election. But party co-leader Toru Hashimoto said the results, which were still being tallied as of late Sunday, amounted to ...

The Liberal Democratic Party handily wrapped up the Lower House election Sunday even as many voters said they were driven by lack of choice rather than enthusiasm for the conservative party headed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Aside from its hard-core supporters, several people ...

With several polls indicating that the ruling coalition may win over 300 of the 480 seats in Sunday’s Lower House race, the Liberal Democratic Party is poised to be the big winner — and Ishin no To (Japan Innovation Party) the main loser. Ishin ...